Autistic Kids Can Experience ‘No Sensory Night’ With Fun Jump

CANTON (WWJ) – For most kids … it’s just plain fun, but for the autistic it can be a great therapy tool.

Monday night, Skyzone in Canton is throwing open the doors to children with autism and similar disorders for it’s first ever “No Sensory Night” for a jump on the trampolines.

“We have so many kids that come in that have autism and I am so much more aware of it than I was before, it’s something that affects so many kids yet it doesn’t get enough attention,” said Skyzone owner Colleen Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald says the music, the crowds, and the required shoes can be a problem for some autistic children.

“We’ve had kids that try to come out and it just doesn’t work during the typical environment, so we wanted to create a special time just for them … we’re turning off the music, we are not requiring jump shoes,” she said.

Carol Wolfers, who has two autistic children, tells WWJ’s Sandra McNeill they like to jump: “It’s very freeing for them, it’s good exercise, it helps their balance, their motor skills. It’s just been wonderful for them, and it’s good for social interaction.”

The only problem notes Wolfers “the more crowded it is, the louder it is, the less likely they are to enjoy themselves – they end up with their hands over their ears and they get kind of reclusive.”

Monday, they’re doing away with all three and offering a special price.

Autism now affects one in 88 children in the US.

The event runs 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Some of the proceeds will go towards autism research.